Puritan Era in America The name Puritans is associated today with the Salem Witch Trails, which is very unfortunate. The Puritan Era in America was shaped by the beliefs that originated in Europe. These beliefs are thought to be the roots of the mass hysteria during the Salem Witch Trails. To explain the Puritan Era, one must talk about the Puritan way of life, which mainly consisted of their faith.

Puritanism's origins lay in yet another confusing time, the Reformation. John Calvin started a more "militant"ÃÂ version of Lutheranism.

But in his, society was to be geared toward a utopia by taking away free will of the people. Puritanism became the pseudonym for this new religion after arriving in England and kept the name all the way America.

Predestination, the Covenant of Works and the Doctrine of Sanctification were the major tenets of Puritanism.

Predestination is the belief that God has "elected"ÃÂ certain souls for eternal salvation.

"The witch no. 1" lithograph

The Pickman House, Back view that abuts the Salem ...

Reverend Samuel Parris (1653-1720)

The Puritans believed to be that distinctive group and lived up to their repute by "purifying"ÃÂ themselves of anything resembling unholy. Puritan society could be summed up in one word: church. In the 1600s, the new colonists achieved this extreme form of purification by living very plain lives. As for politics that shaped Puritan society, there was none. The local church was the government and controlled the "crime rate"ÃÂ by having hearings to determine if someone was behaving unholy.

This dependency on the Church was a weakness in their society.

The Covenant of Works was the agreement between God and Adam and Eve (before the forbidden fruit incident) that consisted of adhering to god in exchange for eternal reprieve. Puritans act as if the covenant of works is still an available means of salvation, making it possible for someone to achieve this through...

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